A Small Black Door In Ridgewood

Date posted: October 25, 2012Author: jolanta

Confused as to what our next step should be after grad school, we spent a lot of time trading fears and frustrations. Feeling a complete disconnect from the art culture that characterized much of Manhattan, the two of us began to talk about putting our own events together. It just so happened that the basement of the building in which Terranova had grown up in was available and we decided to give the idea a shot. Small Black Door was founded through a mixture of hard work, luck, and seized opportunity. With little expectations, we agreed to try running the space, hosting group shows for a year just for the fun of it.

Courtesy of Small Black Door Project Space.

A Small Black Door In Ridgewood

By Matthew Mahler and Jonathan Terranova

The two of us have strong family ties to Ridgewood. Jonathan was born in Ridgewood and spent the first few years of his life living in the building that now houses Small Black Door. Years later he returned to the live in the same building while attending the School of Visual Arts. Matthew was born and raised on Long Island and would often come to Ridgewood on the weekends to visit his grandparents.

We attended the same high school and met in art class. Little did we know at the time, we would be running an exhibition space together more than ten years later. After college, Mahler moved to Ridgewood in search of inexpensive rent the beginning of his art career. During this time he began attending graduate school. While Terranova, upon completing his MFA in Atlanta, moved back to Long Island with his wife.

Confused as to what our next step should be after grad school, we spent a lot of time trading fears and frustrations. Feeling a complete disconnect from the art culture that characterized much of Manhattan, the two of us began to talk about putting our own events together. It just so happened that the basement of the building in which Terranova had grown up in was available and we decided to give the idea a shot. Small Black Door was founded through a mixture of hard work, luck, and seized opportunity. With little expectations, we agreed to try running the space, hosting group shows for a year just for the fun of it.

The initial intent was use SBD as an experimental space, so the fact that we were well removed from Manhattan was not of great concern. It was our belief that if we put together interesting shows that showcased local artists, people would come out and support them; and they have. We used the tools at their disposal to do something positive for ourselves, the artists who show at SBD, and our community. The response has been overwhelming, surprising and delightful.

It is safe to say that when we set out to establish Small Black Door as an apartment/basement gallery, we had no idea what to expect. Aside from getting our friends to show up at the openings, there was little indication as to who would attend. But we did know that we were close to two subway stations and Bushwick; which already had an established art scene of its own. Also working in the favor of the gallery was Famous Accountants, a now defunct basement gallery space originally located only a few blocks away from SBD. Ultimately, Famous Accountants was integral in priming Ridgewood for apartment spaces and paved the way for Small Black Door and Valentine, another gallery in the Queens neighborhood, to progress and develop their own paths of success.

Hosting events in the basement of a Queens residence is far from ideal. However, the limitations (low ceilings, wall abnormalities, odd architectural niches) have added to the charm an of the space. SBD is literally characterized by its “small, black, hatch-like door” that visitors enter through. Clearly, the gallery is not a colossal industrial space, nor do we have a large budget for projects, but we like to think that we have a keen eye for interesting projects and a sincere hunger to showcase the work of underexposed artists.

The majority of the artists who have shown at SBD have day jobs and pursue their passion on their “free” time. It is an experience we both can relate to, as we too maintain full-time jobs outside of Small Black Door. As a consequence, it limits the amount of time we can devote to developing exhibitions and we average one show every two months. Hosting group shows guarantees large attendance and helps promote a sense of community. Openings at Small Black Door are often jammed pack from floor to ceiling with interesting and creative people with few pretentions.

The nice thing about Small Black Door and the circumstance that envelopes it, is that it allows us the flexibility to not worry about sales. It also fosters an environment where play is essential. Shows have been curated based on inspired notions of color, discipline, and even the decommodification of art, while the works have been as varied as a single internet-broadcasted performance to traditional painting. There are also shows that have been curated by guest artists and curators who are given almost free reign over the space. We are constantly encouraging the playfulness and creativity that is imbued in the space.

Small Black Door is unique in many ways and we both feel fortunate to be able to maintain the kind of environment we have. As SBD continues to grow, we plan on staying true to being an experimental artist-run space for artists. And as the community continues to support the space, it will continue to provide fun and interesting shows for the community.